New Mexico Mulls Medicaid Expansion Plans

Some New Mexico lawmakers are advocating legislation that would expand Medicaid to cover all 366,000 of the state's uninsured citizens, the Albuquerque Journal reports. The state's Medicaid program now has 309,000 beneficiaries. To qualify for the program, families must have annual incomes of less than 185% of the poverty level, or $31,548 for a family of four. In addition, as of March 1999, children whose family incomes were up to 235% of the poverty level -- about $40,000 for a family of four -- can receive Medicaid benefits if they have lacked insurance for the previous 12 months. This expansion is done under the state's Medicaid expansion through the CHIP program. Such beneficiaries contribute $5 co-pays, while beneficiaries with incomes 185% of the poverty level or below do not. More than 10% of New Mexico children lack insurance, and many are eligible for Medicaid, the Journal reports.

Looking for Answers
David Scrase, president of Presbyterian Health Plan, said that the public policy issue the state faces is: "Do we want richer benefits in the long run, or do we want more people on" Medicaid. The Journal reports that the "political wind appears to be blowing in favor of more Medicaid." For its part, the state's Health Policy Commission has endorsed Medicaid coverage for all uninsured citizens and has made such a suggestion to the Legislature's health subcommittee. In addition, a recent report from the Legislature's Finance Committee recommended a plan that would procure additional federal matching funds to extend Medicaid to more people. Besides expanding the number of residents Medicaid covers, the Legislature also will debate bills that would expand Medicaid benefits, such as creating a prescription drug benefit for seniors, State Sen. Linda Lopez (D), chair of the Legislative Health Subcommittee, said. Furthermore, the New Mexico Advocates for Children and Families is seeking elimination of the regulation requiring children in families earning between 185% and 235% of the federal poverty level to have been without insurance for the previous 12 months to be eligible for Medicaid (Quigley, Albuquerque Journal, 1/28).